Cable arch support



(No Model.)

S. D. STEPHENS.

UABLE ARC-H SUPPORT;-

m 501,969. Patented July 25,1893,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL D. STEPHENS, OF WEST SI-IOALS, INDIANA.

CABLE ARCH SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,969, dated July 25, 1893.

Application filed June 15, 1891.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, SAMUEL D. STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at West-Shoals, inthe county of Martin and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Cable Arch Support or Suspension-Stringer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in arches, girders, or stringers employed in spanning spaces, as for instance, in the constructions of roofs, bridges, &c.; and the objects in view are to utilize in the construction of the same the theory of the arch combined with the strength and lightness of the cable; and furthermore, to obviate the necessity of the usual anchoring devices and heavy abutments employed in such structures that heretofore existed and employed cables as their mainstay.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:Figure 1 is an elevation of an arch, girder, or stringer constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being partly broken away to expose the interior, and being shown as employed in a bridge. Fig. 2.is a transverse sectional view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of two of'the plates for spacing the cables and staying them. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the binding block.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

ll designate in this instance two opposite abutments, but which may be the opposite walls of a building, or the masonry at each side of a culvert in a railroad, or the abutments at the sides of a stream;

In constructing the arch, girder, or stringer at each side of the bridge I employ a pair of cables designated as 2 and 3, the former being arched upwardly as shown and to the extent desired, and the latter being horizontal or in other words, forming a cord to the circle upon which the upper cable is disposed. The opposite ends of the cables are passed through perforations 4, which are longitudinally formed in binding blocks 5 and beyond which the said cables are looped forming eyes 6 which are in vertical alignment, and in this instance have Serial No. 396,397. (No model.)

passed therethrough the steel locking-pin 7, one pin serving in this instance for two adjacent eyes.

Between the pair of binding-blocks 5 there is interposed a series of pairs of preferably metal plates 8, the same having at opposite points semicircular offsets 9 stamped therein and so located as to receive and embrace the cables. Above and below each offset the plates are riveted together by lines of rivets 10, and when so riveted the inner faces of the plates abut so as to produce practically a homogeneous spacing standard or stay. The plates are arranged upon the same principle as an arch, and the central plates 11 form the key to the arch. The inner ends of the binding blocks 5 terminate just short of the abutments 1 or other supports, so that the end plates are recessed at their corners as at 12 and take over said abutments 'thus bearing against the inner sides thereof, which resist any tendency to expand upon the part of the arch as a whole. This may complete the construction of the device when employed as a girder or stringer for roofs, &c., but it will be understood that when employed for bridges that two or more such girders are necessary.

In the present instance, as one illustration of the utility of the device, I have shown a bridge embodying in its construction such girders, and it will be seen that they may be connected in any suitable way to form the floor of the bridge, in the present instance, by means of transverse beams 13 preferably formed of angle iron and arranged so that the ends or flanges may be bolted 0r riveted as at 14 at opposite sides of or in other words above and below the lower cable 3. The upper edges of the arches or girders may be surmounted by any suitable hand-rail or otherwise finished, but when employed for roofs they may be perforated to receive the bolts or rivets. The upper and lower ends of the plates are preferably provided with lateral flanges, though these may be omitted if desired.

Various changes in the details of my invention may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof, and I therefore do not limit the same to such details as I have herein shown.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an arch, girder, or stringer, the combination with an upwardly arched cable, and a subjacently located horizontal cable, of 0pposite perforated binding blocks in which the ends of the cables are secured, and a series of intermediate plates arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the cables and clamping the same, and rivets for securing the plates together, substantially as specified.

2. In an arch, girder, or stringer, the combination with an upwardly arched cable and a subjacent horizontal cable, of opposite abutments,-perforated binding blocks arranged thereon, and in rear of their edges said cables being provided with eyes beyond the blocks, keys passing through the eyes, and a series of pairs of plates interposed between the blocks,

recessed to fit over the corners of the abutments, and provided with offsets for the reception of the cables, and riveted above and below such cables, substantially as specified.

3. In an arch, girder, or stringer, the combination with a pair of cables, of opposite supports, and a series of pairs of plates having offsets coincident With each other and receiving and clamping the cables, rivets passed through the plates above and below the cables, and securing devices for the ends of the cables, substantially as specified.

SAMUEL D. STEPHENS.

Witnesses:

HARVEY D. MARLEY, COLUMBUS M; 000mm. 

